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Help me choose my MacCat.

Hi all,

Looking for some input from you veteran hangers.

I have placed an order w/ Brian for an ultra in Sil, but his materials are delayed so I have a week or so to toy with some options.

I am primarily a car camper. I have a buddy that wants me to do some backpacking and I'm sure I will give it a go this season. I chose the ultra because I plan on hanging 2x hammocks under one tarp on occasion.

Well, as it turns out, I have enough in the budget to "upgrade" to a deluxe in SpinnUL.

So nutshell, car camper with little concern for weight, but plan on doing some weekend hiking trips this season. Want to be able to occasionally do a 3-tree type setup or even stack one of my boys over me and use 1 tarp on occasion.

The ultra with it's 6 tie out offers some flexibility in pitching options, but the SpinnUL sounds like really nice material and the deluxe may be big enough for me.

A few things I have read here that I would like to know more about in addition to the above:

Spinn is louder in the rain?
Spinn will not streach and Sil does slightly? (Tensioners needed on Sil, not Spinn?)
Spinn is more water proof than Sil? Is this a notable difference in a normal heavy rain?
I am a fairly big guy 6'1", 190lb, will I even notice the weight difference on a weekend trip?
Durability and longevity? Is there a general consensus that one will outlast another or take more abuse?

Thanks a ton for any input, and if I missed any obvious benefits of either material, help me out.

The Ultra is a larger tarp for more coverage, and cheaper. Unless you start backpacking and trimming pack weight, the cost of the lighter fabric won't be worth it's cost in benefit to you. JMO, YMMV

“I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy

The Ultra is a larger tarp for more coverage, and cheaper. Unless you start backpacking and trimming pack weight, the cost of the lighter fabric won't be worth it's cost in benefit to you. JMO, YMMV

Yeah what he said. I picked up a 12x10 from OES (still waiting to get out and try it out!), specifically for car-camping and two-hammock hangs, but it's not so heavy that I'd be afraid to carry it backpacking. There's such a thing as "good weight", and for me, a good sized knife and a big tarp are at the top of the "good weight" list!

Spinn will not streach and Sil does slightly? (Tensioners needed on Sil, not Spinn?)

Very true and results in even more ounces saved by eliminating the tensioners.

Originally Posted by Soular

Spinn is more water proof than Sil? Is this a notable difference in a normal heavy rain?

I have yet to notice any 'mist-thru' with the Spinn, I have with sil. The bigger issue here, for me, is the fact that it doesn't get damp on the inside like sil. If I brush my back against sil when it's raining, my back gets wet. That is not the case with the Spinn; it's bone dry on the interior.

Originally Posted by Soular

I am a fairly big guy 6'1", 190lb, will I even notice the weight difference on a weekend trip?

Probably not, but if weekends turn into weeks and weeks to months you will. And don't say "it won't happen to me, I just want to do weekend trips" because this getting out in the woods stuff is highly addictive!

Originally Posted by Soular

Durability and longevity? Is there a general consensus that one will outlast another or take more abuse?

No consensus on that one; plenty of 'discussions'. I have found it to be at least as durable as sil. Others have had different experiences.

Honestly, if you are just getting into this stuff and have no big plans in the near future, the sil is going to work just fine for you. Might want to set aside that extra money for underquilts instead of Spinn for the time. If you think you're going to be more and more active with the hiking way of life, upgrading to the Spinn is a wonderful luxury. JMO

Maccat Spinntex Deluxe

I got my spinn deluxe a couple weeks ago. I had brian add 4 more tieouts (2 extra on each side). I've set it up multiple times and I have been very pleased with it, it gave me so much more room than my previous tarp! You can't go wrong the maccat!

Cannibal, The past couple times I've used my tarp in the rain I've had moisture gather on the inside of the tarp. Everytime I would rub my head or back against the inside of the tarp I would get pretty wet. I'm pretty sure that its not condenation because one time I never slept under it and this still happened.

Cannibal, The past couple times I've used my tarp in the rain I've had moisture gather on the inside of the tarp. Everytime I would rub my head or back against the inside of the tarp I would get pretty wet. I'm pretty sure that its not condenation because one time I never slept under it and this still happened.

-Dman

Hmmmm. I actually carried some paper towels in a ziploc to demonstrate this on the trail; never had it get wet. I wonder if Brian's new stuff is a different batch? Brian, you there?

I got my spinn deluxe a couple weeks ago. I had brian add 4 more tieouts (2 extra on each side). I've set it up multiple times and I have been very pleased with it, it gave me so much more room than my previous tarp! You can't go wrong the maccat!

I'm planning on getting a MacCat Standard in the silnylon shortly. What extra tieouts did you have Brian add and why? I'm a newb. Also, I'm new to this. And to top it all off, I'm a bit of a hammock camping neophyte.